AbstractTwo methods of validating the judgments made on butter, compound fat and margarine by a small panel are described. In each case the panel's judgments, made to a rating scale, were compared from time to time with the judgments of larger, consumer, groups. In the first method the averages of the panel members' ratings for each attribute were compared with the averages of the consumer group's ratings, and significant regression coefficients were obtained for the attributes flavour, spreadability and firmness. The panel and the consumers did not agree about texture or overall quality. In the second, fuller, method, the individual panel members' judgments were examined for self‐consistency and possible drift with time, and multiple regression equations were calculated for the estimation of consumer judgments from the panel members' judgments for each attribut